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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 03-27-23 5 of 19 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS | HEARING OFFICER DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023 (V) Old Meridian St Apartments Variances. The applicant seeks the following development standards variance approvals: 6. Docket No. PZ-2023-00038 V UDO Section 2.36 Maximum 80% lot coverage allowed, 95% requested. 7. Docket No. PZ-2023-00043 V UDO Section 1.07 Transportation Plan Compliance: • Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan – Multiuse paths required along north and east side of parcel. • Thoroughfare Plan Map – Streets/sidewalks required along north and east side of parcel. The site is located at 12895 Old Meridian St., between Grand Blvd. and Main St. The site is zoned C2/Mixed Use District. Filed by Nick Vergatos of JPS Consulting Engineers, LLC on behalf of Cross Development. General Info: • The Petitioner proposes to build a mixed-use development located on approximately 4.5 acres at the south of Main St. (south of Bru Burger), along the east side of Old Meridian St.. • This is a project partnered with the CRC (Carmel Redevelopment Commission). • This redevelopment project will be comprised of 274 luxury apartment units, 10 for-sale condominium units, approximately 425 structured parking spaces, and over 7,000 SF of ground floor commercial space. • The Plan Commission Hearing Office approved the DP/ADLS portion of this project on 10/06/2022, with Docket No. PZ-2022-00184 DP/ADLS - Old Meridian Street Apartments. • Surrounding the site are a multi-tenant commercial building to the north (including Bru Burger), The Grand & Main development to the west (with apartments), Carmel Middle School to the east, and Home2 Suites hotel and the VFW building to the south. • BZA variances are requested from the maximum lot coverage requirement for the C2 zoning district, and the requirement to comply with the (Comprehensive Plan’s) Transportation Plan. • Please see the Petitioner’s info packet for more detail on the variance requests. Variances Requested: Lot Coverage: • A maximum of 80% lot coverage is allowed, and 95% requested. This a variance of 15%. • Green space, street trees, and plantings are being provided around the perimeter of the site. • The Petitioner continues to work with the Carmel Engineering Dept. to address any remaining engineering review comments that were part of the DP/ADLS petition review. • The Engineering Dept. has no comment on the requested 15% increase in allowed lot cover. Transportation Plan Compliance: • Compliance with the Transportation Plan is required by the UDO, or payment for what it would cost to install those improvements in the right of way is required into the Non-Reverting Thoroughfare Fund – the following deviations from that plan are listed below: ➢ Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan – Multiuse paths required along north and east side of parcel. ➢ Thoroughfare Plan Map – Streets/sidewalks required along north and east side of parcel. • What they are proposing, instead, is a pedestrian walking path, which will double as the emergency fire lane, to allow for accessible walkability around the property without motor vehicle congestion. This area of the project will also encompass the underground stormwater detention which would not be able to be relocated out of the required street right-of-way in the event of compliance with the Thoroughfare Plan. • There are future plans to connect this site to the Bru Burger site north, if/when it re-develops. 6 of 19 Remaining Review Comments: • There is a slight concern about the Old Meridian St. right of way line vs. the curb line. Please confirm with the Carmel Engineering Dept. that you are providing the correct half street ROW width for Old Meridian St. (The Comprehensive Plan’s Thoroughfare Plan shows Old Meridian St. as an Arterial, and the required total street right of way width for that is a range between 96 feet to 120 feet. So, that would be a range of 48-ft half to a 60-ft half ROW. The current ROW width is around 99.88 feet, or a 50-ft half.) Final Comments: • The project complements the surrounding developments. • The Planning Dept. is supportive of this urban, walkable development and its general layout. • The layout still provides for overall vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle connectivity within the Old Meridian district. • One concern the Active Transportation Coordinator has is if outdoor seating, railings, or displays are installed along the commercial tenant spaces, it could make the sidewalk along the building too narrow, clearance-wise. (It needs to have a clearance of at least 6-ft.) This should be discussed. • In addition to north-south bike/ped connectivity along Old Meridian Street, active transportation elements are still being provided along the north and east sides of the site with privately owned and maintained paths; bike/ped connectivity will still be provided around the site. • The Planning Dept. generally supports the variance requests. Findings of Fact: • Please refer to the Petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their BZA Info Packet. Recommendation: • After all comments and concerns are addressed, the Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends positive consideration of these two variance requests, and with adoption of the Findings of Fact submitted by the Petitioner.